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Fraxel - Laser Resurfacing Treatment

Fraxel is the newest buzz word in laser resurfacing treatments and is being dubbed as the new scalpel - without the downtime.

What is it?

Fraxel, the latest resurfacing device to obliterate the advancing years, is creating a big stir in the war against anti-ageing and is currently the most popular treatment among the Hollywood A-listers.

Fraxel is a new approach to non-ablative (non-wounding) laser treatment.

In the past, while lasers could give skin a new lease of life, the downside was that they literally burned off the years. Skin resurfacing was achieved by vaporising away a layer of skin while causing tissue contraction.

This was achieved by using ablative lasers and healing could be slow and downtime lengthy- as long as two weeks.

But the Fraxel SR laser is surpassing the older generation of lasers. The Fraxel laser improves skin condition by affecting only a fraction of your skin at a time with thousands of microscopic laser spots. Unlike skin rejuvenation treatment using the older type of lasers, the skin isn't left raw.

To understand how the Fraxel SR Laser works, to imagine the surface of your skin as a digital photograph made up of thousands of minute spots. Just as digital photographs can be retouched, the Fraxel SR laser can repair age and sunravaged skin spot by spot.

The laser produces thousands of tiny, deep columns in your skin known as microthermal treatment zones, which get rid of old, discoloured skin cells.

But, just as importantly, the laser also leaves areas of the skin untouched. So, for every microthermal zone the laser covers, the surrounding tissue is unaffected. This 'fractional' treatment allows the skin to heal faster than if the entire area is treated at once.

What can it do for you?

Based on a series of clinical studies, Fraxel has received US Food and Drug Administration clearances for treatment of acne and surgical scars as well as wrinkles, sun spots, age spots, large skin pores, skin discoloration and an improvement in skin texture.

Its completely new approach to skin resurfacing allows us to treat other areas that lasers can't touch, such as the neck, chest and hands, with minimal downtime.

The results are amazing. After your first treatment, any fine lines around your eyes will fade noticeably, as will uneven colouring and brown spots caused by age or sun damage.

The procedure

A typical treatment takes anything from half an hour to an hour.

First, there's a skin cleansing and tint procedure. After cleansing with a mild scrub cleanser, a blue tint is applied to the skin. A topical anaesthetic ointment is then applied to the treatment area and may take up to an hour to take full effect.

During this time the blue tint darkens the tiny folds of the skin surface to increase contrast and allow the robotic handpiece of the laser to precisely pick out the areas that need treating.

The robotic laser handpiece glides effortlessly across the skin, painting (but never touching) the face. After treatment, the blue tint and anaesthetic is washed off immediately.

Cost

From £750 per treatment.

Recovery time

Unlike ablative lasers, the top layer of the skin isn t removed, which means that recovery time is faster. However, it's not all 'laser and go': up to seven days is the average time for full healing.

After treatment, you'll get a mild sunburn-like sensation for about an hour and the skin will have a pinkish tone for up to a week. This is the normal sign that the skin is healing.

Swelling is minimal and usually goes down in about three days. Skin will also naturally and vigorously exfoliate as the fresh epidermal skin replaces dead tissue.

Flaking will be similar to that caused by mild sunburn. However, patients can apply make-up immediately and return to routine activities.

What can go wrong?

In theory, when you have an ablative treatment you may get inflammation from going too deeply into the tissue. But because Fraxel is treating 20 per cent at a time, it's far safer and shouldn't cause any wounding.

However, as with all cosmetic procedures there's still a risk of scarring, skin lightening and skin darkening if the treatment isn't used efficiently.

How long does it last?

After your first treatment, you'll begin to feel the difference in your skin as it gradually becomes softer and smoother. Four treatments at intervals of one to two weeks are usually required for maximum effect. Results may last up to 18 months.

 


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